Dancing in Shadows
by North Light36
Summary: Kallian Tobais is a young elf just struggling to make ends met in the slums of Rag's End, dancing and picking pockets to support herself and her father. Training to become a Shadowdancer gives her hope, but it's the appearance of a mysterious elf in fine armor that truly offers her a way out of Rag's End. But becoming one of the legendary Shin'Rakorath has it's own dangers.
1. Shadowdancer

**Chapter One - Shadowdancer**

Kallian Tobias could think of a dozen things she'd have preferred to be doing at this moment then dancing on sore feet while the men gathered around leered and stripped her with their eyes. It wasn't even something as clean as undressing her, but felt like their eyes were brutally tearing the silks from her body. And why shouldn't they? To them, she was little more then a toy. A pretty little elf in next to nothing who'd twirl and leap for their amusement as long as they tossed her a coin or two.

She would have liked to stop for awhile and sing rather then dance to the tunes a fellow street performer was playing, but this was the wrong area of town for such things. Here they wanted movement, the lifting and twirling of silk that threatened to expose what little they covered. And the dancing allowed her to keep just out of reach of grasping hands without starting a riot. Her eyes flickered to the little tin cup by the piper's feet and she suppressed a sigh. Not enough to split with her companion and still have enough left over to buy dinner.

She could take her share and leave to try her luck with other skills, of course. But the winter months made for lean hunting and leaner thieving. The wealthy kept their purses close and covered by their thick coats and heavy cloaks as they hurried about their business and the snow either kept animals n their dens or turned them mean. And dancing silks weren't suitable winter wear for either activity. She'd freeze before she found a target. Going home to change would take too long as well. Even if she found something to hunt, she'd never make it back within city walls by dusk and _that _would cost her a lesson. An already paid for lesson. Morgana wasn't big on refunds or on waiting and Kallian certainly couldn't afford to throw away an entire silver by being late.

So she'd dance and hope someone would toss something larger then a single copper her way to take her mind off the pain in her feet. _Not much chance of that_, she thought, but kept the bright, pretty smile on her face as she whirled and twirled to match the increasing pace of the piper's tunes.

Focused on the duel task of dancing and watching for grabby hands that had gotten just a little too bold, she almost missed seeing the elf. She would have missed him completely if the unusual sound of multiple coins falling into the cup hadn't made her spin towards the piper and his cup. For a second the white-haired elf met her eyes and Kallian had the odd feeling of being measured and studied - then he was gone, vanished into a passing crowd. A hand brushing her arse had her hastily dancing away and reminded her to keep her attention on the crowd rather then passers by. She might have forgotten the elf entirely if, when she and the piper were splitting their earnings at the end of the day, there hadn't been four silver pieces shining among the pitiful pile of copper. "Did you see who put those into the cup, Tommy?" she asked the half-elf piper, staring at the small fortune in wonder as Thomas began dividing the money into equal shares.

"It was the elf," Thomas replied before adding with a laugh. "Guess he can't have been from around _here. _Thanks, Kalli. My sisters and I will eat for a week on this."

"Why are you thanking ___me_?" Kallian asked, baffled. "I danced, you played. This is the result of a team effort to feed our families."

"You didn't see how that elf was looking at you," Thomas replied. "He was so focused on you that it was a little unnerving, really. And his clothing... That was armour, Kalli. Better quality then anything the likes of us could afford. If he hadn't tossed us the silver, I'd be asking if you'd pissed anyone important off lately." He hesitated then cast Kallian a wary look. "You haven't, have you? Kalli, we both know how you... supplement your singing and dancing. No one in Rag's End has the room to judge you for it, but if there's trouble brewing... Trouble that'd bring men in armour down here... I want to know about it."

Kallian couldn't resent Thomas' attitude. They might have been friends of a sort, but when it came to trouble in Magnimar's poorest district, everyone had to look out for their own. Thomas, with three young sisters to feed, would drop Kallian faster then a hot pot if there was trouble following her, just as she would to him if the situation was reversed. "I haven't done anything that'd follow me back to the End, Tommy," she assured him. "He was probably just an adventurer passing through or something taking pity on a fellow elf and a half-elf."

"Some pity," Thomas muttered, looking down at the two silver in his hand. "Well, if you're sure, then fine. Might be better if you didn't work this area for a few days though, Kalli. Just to be safe. You don't want to be messing with anyone in armour and I'm telling you, he never took his eyes off you. And I don't think it was to try and get a peek up your skirt."

Kallian felt a chill run down her spine and nodded. She didn't ___think_she'd stolen from anyone particularly important lately. She didn't tend to test her skills in the areas where the truly wealthy gathered and their hired guards were on alert. And she was as certain as she could be that no one she'd stolen from had ever gotten a good enough look at her to identify or set the guards on her. And who would bother trying to find a thief in Rag's End? That was like trying to find a particular leaf in a forest. If someone lived in this neighbourhood, you could be certain they were either the lowest of lowly dockworkers, or a beggar, whore or thief. There was little else by way of putting food on the table here and even then, keeping starvation at bay was a daily struggle. With the elf's two silver in the hidden coin purse in the belt of her dancing silks, it was a struggle Kallian would be able to avoid for a few days at least. She'd try her pickpocketing skills tomorrow to help extend the reprieve from starvation's usual looming threat and enjoy the brief return to the days of her childhood, when she hadn't been so familiar with hunger and responsibility.

Some days she could remember those days clearly, could remember her mother's smile and the laughter that had always filled the house. Most of the time it seemed more like a fading dream, the details fuzzy with time. She did remember a house where the wind didn't whistle through the holes in the walls and a fire burnt constantly in the hearth. Vaguely she could remember dolls and other childhood delights, and bright, cheerful music. They'd wanted for nothing then, between her mother's thieving and her father's playing. Then Adaia had chosen the wrong pocket and their life had died with her. No one hired a bard who played nothing but laments for the dead, no matter how well the bard played them. The bright, warm house was swiftly a thing of the past when the rent fell too far overdue, traded in for a crumbling two room shack in Rag's End that Kallian could barely manage to earn the rent for and where cold and hunger had stolen the strength of her father's joints.

Kallian pushed those thoughts aside. With the money she'd earned, they'd eat well and that would lift her father's spirits and health back up to their old levels. Yes, their fortunes had changed since her mother's death, but they could always change back, she told herself as she hurried towards the market to do her shopping. She didn't have long to take care of such domestic chores before the sun slipped into twilight and it would be time for her lessons. The pressing awareness of time quickened her step and kept her from thinking over much on the past until at last she'd brought a good loaf of bread, a hunk of cheese and a decent collection of root vegetables and carted the lot home in a sack that was almost clean. The bread and cheese would be a quick dinner tonight, then tomorrow she'd take the time to properly make the vegetables into a soup. The thought had her humming happily as she stepped up to the door of her home, though not so much that she didn't swear when the old wood toppled onto the floor rather then swing inwards.

"Kalli, love, your mother and I didn't have you educated just so you could impress people with the number of curse words you know," Cyran Tobias smiled at his daughter as she strode over the fallen door and set her sack on the table. "I'll get the door, sweetheart," he added, bending to pick up the old wood and shove it carelessly back into place.

"Sorry, father," Kallian began, then frowned and stepped forward to snatch up her father's hands and take a better look at the swollen fingers. "Father! You've been playing again! You know you only hurt yourself, and I can manage for both of us! The stiffness will never get better if you keep straining yourself."

"Ah, Kalli, the stiffness is never going to go," Cyran replied, reaching out to cup his daughter's check. "But the pain isn't so hard to bare. What would your mother say if she saw me not looking after our little baby girl?"

"She'd say that your little baby girl is all grown up now and doesn't need her daddy breaking his fingers for copper," Kallian replied, but she leaned into her father's worn hand. "Please, daddy, let me worry about this, all right? You'll just hurt yourself." She sighed at the stubborn look in her father's eyes and simply dropped the subject. While they agreed on almost everything, she knew that her father would never agree to turn sole responsibility for the household income over to her. Despite the pain playing his lute and flute caused in his stiffened fingers, he still felt Kallian was his responsibility and it was his duty to provide for her.

"In any case, look at this!" She spread out the results of her shopping and all but a single silver of her earnings. "I did really well today and thought that tomorrow we could have a nice soup. And good bread and cheese for dinner tonight, before I go to my lessons."

Cyrion frowned at his daughter as he started to saw at the loaf of bread with their dull knife. "Just be careful that woman doesn't get you into trouble, Kalli love. I know you're a clever girl, but I don't know that your 'teacher' is all that trustworthy and I don't want you being led into anything dangerous. After what happened to Adaia..."

"I'm always careful, Father," Kallian replied quickly. She didn't want to think of her mother's last job and the ruined remains of her beaten body. "I'm not taking any risks, I promise. But I need these lessons, Father. They're honing my skills and one day we'll have the money to get back out of Rag's End." She stepped forward to kiss his cheek then took up her dagger to start slicing the cheese.

Father and daughter prepared and ate their meal in the usual silence that followed uncomfortable topics, such as any discussion of money or Adaia. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable, just an acceptance of the disagreement and each of them needing a moment to be alone with their thoughts.

"Well," murmured Cyrion as he finished off his bread and cheese. "You certainly did well for yourself today. We'll make a bard out of you yet, my dear." He smiled fondly at her as he added, "Your mother would probably be horrified, but it is a more... acceptable skill set for a betrothal then some of the more, shall we say, specialist skills Adaia taught you."

Kallian pulled a face as she got up to wash her plate. "_Father_, must we talk of that? Besides, everyone around here knows of my picking pockets and anyone who doesn't is to well off to even look at a dancing girl from Rag's End. You'd have better luck getting me betrothed to the elf who passed by earlier. He had the money for armour and four silver to throw to Thomas and I. Tommy said he was watching me. Maybe he fell in love and would be willing to keep me in the style I'm not accustomed to?"

"An elf in armour? Here? Watching you?" Cyrion looked sharply at his daughter, all trace of humour gone now. "What did he look like? Did he speak to you at all?"

"I barely saw him, father. Tall, with long white hair and dark eyes. Probably older then you, but it's hard to tell. And of course he didn't speak to me, father. He was just watching the elven dancing girl, same as anyone else. What would he have to say to the likes of me, hmm?"

"Well... Just you stay away from him, Kalli my girl. We don't need the trouble of getting involved with the likes of him, understood?" Walking across the kitchen, Cyrion peered out the grimy, cracked glass of the window as if checking the street. "Sun's going down. Best you change and get yourself off to your lessons then. And don't you stop to talk to any strangers, you hear me? I mean it, Kallian. Not one word."

Kallian would have complained about everyone she knew assuming she went ___looking _for trouble, but following her father's gaze showed he was right. She barely had enough time to change into street clothes and carefully put her delicate dancer's silks into their little wooden chest before she was running through streets coloured like rose-gold by the setting sun.

She couldn't have said why she felt uncomfortable as she took her usual shortcuts through the stinking back alleys or why she repeatedly found herself stopping dead and looking warily into the shadows. But the hair on the back of her neck kept standing on end and she couldn't entirely shake off the feeling of being watched. And it didn't seem to matter how often she told herself firmly that her father and Thomas' paranoia was simply rubbing off on her, by the time she'd reached Morgana's little shack she was jumpier then a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs and unease made her knocking a good deal more urgent then was usual.

"Well, no one could ever claim you're not punctual, girl," Morgana remarked as she opened the door. "Patient, on the other hand... Bang on my door any harder and it'll fall in. You can be sure you'd be spending your lesson time fixing it, in that case."

"Sorry, Morgana. I guess I'm just a little jumpy. You see, there was this elf on the docks today and-"

"The last I heard, there's no restriction on where you elves can go and you don't pay to talk at me," Morgana replied, already stepping into the dimly lit home. "Come in and close that door behind you. If you can manage the shadows in this house, we may try you out on the streets tonight. If you think you can control yourself?"

"Yes Morgana," Kallian murmured, following Morgana and carefully closing the door behind her to shut out the sunlight. At once she felt a delicate tingle run over her skin, as if the very air of the house were greeting the visitor. In respectful, and a little unnerved, silence, Kallian helped push the table to one side of the room and clear a space for them to work. She'd often wondered if the woman's so called lessons were nothing more then a scam to cheat Kallian out of her hard earned coin, but she'd never figured out how the woman could simply vanish in front of your eyes and it was true her lessons had honed Kallian's skill as both a thief and a dancer, so it was not as though she wasn't getting _something _from the lessons. But tonight something felt different and she couldn't help a thrill of excitement.

"Yes," murmured Morgana, looking at Kallian with a half smile. "Yes... I do think you're ready at can feel them, can't you?"

"Feel who?" Kallian asked quietly, looking around the room. "Something's changed but..."

"The fairies of the forest, come to make you their queen," snapped Morgana. "The shadows, of course! What else would I be talking about, girl? Come now, focus on what you feel and follow me. Let's introduce you, shall we?" As Kallian watched, Morgana began a slow, careful dance that tugged at something deep within the elf. "Yes, you feel it now, don't you?" Morgana murmured. "Come, follow me and concentrate. Feel the shadows and let them know you want to be as one with them."

Kallian thought she'd struggle with copying the steps, but after the first clumsy movements, it seemed as if she was preforming a dance she'd known since before she could walk. Confidence flooded through her and her actions became smooth and practised as the faintest hint of a tune played in the back of her thoughts. For once she wasn't startled when Morgana vanished, for she could still see the woman, a faint change in the shadowy gloom all around them. Suddenly she ached to be a part of that and reached out with heart and mind. The world changed, suddenly washed out of colour and yet brighter then it had been before and she knew, without knowing how she knew, that if anyone were to enter the room they'd see nothing but a dimly lit room. "I did it," she murmured and turned to grin at Morgana. "I did it!"

"You've ___started_," Morgana replied firmly. "You're a true Shadowdancer now, child. But don't fool yourself, you've still got a long way to go. You don't see me dancing every time I disappear, do you?" Her expression softened. "Still, it's good to see you take this first step. Now, let's see you leave the shadows."

Kallian didn't want to. There was something soothing and comfortable in this washed out view of the world. It seemed muted and sharper all at once and... There was movement in the next room! "Someone's here!"

"Kallian!" Morgana's voice was sharp. "Listen to me, girl. You focus on me and obey what I'm telling you. Leave. The. Shadows. Now. Who I have in ___my _home is no concern of yours."

Kallian hesitated a moment longer, but Morgana's tone suggested she wouldn't tolerate any arguments and Kallian had already been on the receiving end of the flat side of Morgana's short sword for arguing with her in the past. And really, Morgana's guests ___were _none of her business. With a sigh, she nodded in agreement and asked, "How?"

"You should know. What are you instincts telling you?"

Kallian thought for a moment, then closed her eyes and stopped her dance. When she opened her eyes, colour had washed back into the world. It wasn't the same as it had been before she'd stepped into the shadows however. The colours were brighter, clearer then before and the dim lighting no longer seemed dim. She looked around in quiet wonder, then turned her head towards the bedroom. She caught a flash of white and movement, then Morgana touched her shoulder.

"It's a little overwhelming the first time you draw on the shadow plan. Come, sit down and we'll talk a bit about what you just did." Taking Kallian firmly by the arm, Morgana lead her over to the table and gestured to a chair. "Take a seat, Kallian."

Kallian sat down, still looking around. "It seems brighter in here now."

"Yes, that's one of the first things most Shadowdancers notice. I know most elves can already see well in dim light, but you'll find you can see completely comfortably even in total darkness," Morgana replied. "It's a gift given to Shadowdancers the first time we step into the shadows. Also, as long as you're reasonably close to a shadow, say about nine or ten feet, you'll be able to draw on the shadows to hide you from the sight of anyone, even people watching you."

"So that's how you do it!"

"Yes. You'll find it's a little harder to hide from other Shadowdancers, but that's solely because we are used to looking closely into the shadows. In time and with practice, you'll be all but invisible to anyone and everyone."

"That... could be very useful," Kallian murmured, considering just how useful it would be to be entirely invisible when picking pockets rather then simply trying to blend into the crowds.

"It can be," Morgana agreed, with a note of amusement in her voice that suggested she had a good idea of what Kallian was thinking. "Though you need to remember, you can still be heard, felt and smelt. Always be aware of all the senses, child, or being invisible won't save you. But invisibility is the least of a Shadowdancer's skills, really. As you grow more connected to the Shadow Plane, you'll gain access to other abilities, such as creating illusions and summoning a spirit of the Shadow Plane to assist you." Morgana frowned and gave Kallian a serious look. "Summoning a shadow companion is not without risk, though. Always be aware that if the spirit doesn't feel your reasons for summoning it was worthy of it's time, it may take a portion of your strength as repayment. Never be careless about such a summoning. Also, you may only summon a companion once a month."

Kallian nodded solemnly, shivering at the thought of an annoyed spirit.

Morgana smiled and gave Kallian a pat on the shoulder. "I wouldn't be teaching you if I thought you were a fool, Kallian Tobias. I know you'll be careful with what you are now learning to access. Now, let's try another cloak, this time with less dancing." Her smile was mockingly amused as she added, "By the time I send you home tonight, I want you able to disappear while standing still."

Hours later, Kallian was well aware of the reason for that smile. By the time Morgana was satisfied with Kallian's hiding, and had delivered more then half a dozen corrective slaps with the flat of her blade, she was aching everywhere, certain she was going to be black and blue and her head and eyes were throbbing with pain. Her legs shook with exhaustion and when she sank to the floor and glanced out the window, she saw the moon was at it's peak.

"That will do," Morgana murmured at last. "You're still taking a slight half step while you draw on the shadows though, girl. I expect that corrected before our next lesson. Which will be?"

Kallian pulled out her silver and handed it over to her teacher. "In two days?"

"Very well," Morgana murmured, the silver coin vanishing into a pocket before Kallian could blink. "I trust you can get yourself home? Or shall we extend the lesson and I'll escort you home?"

"No!" Kallian didn't even think about it. The thought of an extended lesson almost made her cry. "No, don't trouble yourself. I can make my own way home."

Morgana nodded and walked over to set her kettle to boil. Glancing back over her shoulder, she remarked, "Well? Last I checked you didn't live here, girl. Off you go."

Kallian laughed, not at all bothered by the abrupt dismissal and headed for the door. Out in the cool of the night though, she paused on the step to listen and look around carefully before drawing on her new found ability to vanish. It was always better to be careful on the streets of Rag's End at night, but her confidence in her skills meant she didn't bother to glance back at the house on her way home. As such, she never saw the two figures who stood at the window.

"How short-sighted invisibility makes her," murmured the elven man, glancing at Morgana.

"A common mistake of those new to the shadows," Morgana replied. "She'll learn better by the time I'm done with her, Kaerishiel."

"Indeed," Kaerishiel murmured. "If she has half the skill of her mother..."

"Did you see how quickly she drew on the shadows?" snapped Morgana. "She's got more then just a little skill. Give her enough time and you'll have a Shadow Master on your hands." The human woman narrowed her eyes at her elven companion and warned, "You'd just better keep the girl alive that long. I haven't put this much effort into training her for you to lose her before she archives her full potential."

Kaerishiel looked at her with unconcealed disdain. "No. You've trained her to repay your debt to the Shin'Rakorath. Do not try and pass your actions off as a favour, Morgana. Particularly not to me. I know full well that she is little more to you then currency. Something you've been swift to line your pockets with as you teach her."

"And ___you_ should not be so self-righteous with me, Kaerishiel Neirenar. Not when I can see the calculation in your eyes as you watch her. Your motives are no more innocent then mine and I at least can claim the relationship of teacher with her. Will you even tell her of the connection between you?"

"How much does she know?"

"Little. Fairytales learnt at her mother's knee. Nothing of the truth behind them."

"Her father's doing no doubt. He's the only reason Adaia would not have taught her daughter all she knew."

"Gods forbid a parent not want to raise their daughter as another solider for your little war, eh Kaerishiel? Who could imagine they might want something else for their baby?" She snorted, a bitter, angry sound. "I for one cannot blame Cyrion for taking his family from that."

"And look what he gave them instead!" Kaerishiel spat. "Adaia dead in some filthy back alley, reduced to nothing more then a common street thief. Her daughter stumbling through the slums, set to end up either sharing her mother's fate or whoring herself out to the scum who jeer at her on the docks. Yes, Cyrion did so much good when he lured Adaia from the Shin'Rakorath."

"From what I knew of Adaia, she went with him willingly and for love," Morgana hissed. "Something I don't expect you to understand."

The pair lapsed into silence, bitter and resentful, as each stared out of dingy window into the gloom. "Another week then?" Kaerishiel's tone was all business. "Or should I wait two before I approach her?"

"You are really going to do this then? You're going to draw that girl into your mess? By Calistria, you're a cold bastard. She's little more then a child."

"There are others her age in the ranks."

"Oh lovely. So she can die with other children."

"Our numbers are dwindling! We cannot hope to stand against the drow if we leave our children in the slums of your cities." Kaerishiel glanced at Morgana out of the corner of his eye. "You needn't worry. If she turns down the offer, then I will still consider our bargain concluded."

"Two weeks," Morgana sighed. "Then by the gods, I pray I never see you again. Get out."

"Not a word to Kallian, Morgana. I won't have you influencing her."

"Yes," Morgana hissed at his departing back. "You wouldn't."


	2. Kaerishiel

**Chapter Two - Kaerishiel**

Kallian couldn't remember when life had been as easy as it proved to be over the next fortnight. It was as though she'd unlocked a wellspring of good luck with her new abilities, or if the silver the elf had thrown to her was the first sign of some god's blessing. Rather then spend her days freezing on the docks in silks, she was able to dedicate her mornings to a little pickpocketing, her afternoons to gathering firewood and her evenings to her lessons with Morgana. She rose in the morning to a good, filling breakfast and went to bed feeling accomplished, warmed by a blazing fire and basking in the glow of having eaten an actual dinner.

She couldn't have said if it was simply easier now she'd broken that first barrier or if having a full belly helped with her focus, but her lessons had become almost easy. Step by step, she learned to call on the shadows to mask herself from sight, to see through the gloom of night and to move smoothly and quickly. As her skills as a Shadowdancer improved, so did her skills as a rogue and a general dancer. Even Morgana had reluctantly begun to offer compliments before, oddly enough, spacing out the lessons further and further apart. Kallian had questioned her on the delay once, but the sarcastic reply that Morgana had other things to do with her time then teach a spoilt little princess convinced her not to ask a second time. If Morgana was busy, she might decide to simply end the lessons all together if Kallian annoyed her.

The only bump in the otherwise smooth road life was taking was the oddest feeling of being watched. It wasn't consent and Kallian could never place the watcher, but at least once a day in the last three days she'd felt the hair on the back of her neck go up. It had been enough to make her shift her routine slightly and turn to picking pockets in the evening, despite the pickings being slimmer as the day drew to a close. She'd have been annoyed by it if she and her father hadn't had a reasonable nest egg stashed away by now. But the feeling kept coming and as she headed to her lastest lesson, Kallian found herself sneaking through the shadows rather then openly walking down the street and was relieved to knock on Morgana's door without that uncomfortable sense of eyes on her back.

Morgana's expression was oddly sober rather then irritated or impatient. "Kalli," she murmured, much to Kallian's surprise since she didn't think Morgana had even known Kallian had a nickname much less what it was. "Come in, child." She stepped aside and held the door open. "Sit down. I have some nice mint tea on the stove. We'll both have a cup, and a talk, before your lesson today."

"A talk?" Kallian swallowed hard. "What did I do?"

Morgana laughed. "Developed a guilty conscious, it seems. No, you've done nothing, child. But I simply think this may very well be our last lesson." She closed the door and lead the way over to the battered table. "You've been progressing very well with our lessons, Kalli. I assume you've been practicing, somehow?"

"It helps," Kallian murmured. "With hunting and... other things." She smiled. "I still have to be careful, since well, animals can still hear and smell me, but I'm good at moving quietly." Her smile faded a little as she added, "And... Our last lesson? Why?"

"Yes," Morgana murmured. "You are." She poured the tea and passed one of the old tin mugs to Kallian. "And yes, our last lesson. You've been making wonderful progress, far more quickly then I'd expected. Really, you've almost reached a point where you can reach the next stages of your ability on your own, with an occassional bit of advice from a fellow Shadowdancer." She gave Kallian a small, oddly sorrowful look. "I want to take you through summoning a Shadow spirit tonight, since that's best done with guidence the first time you try. Afterwards, your shadow can offer a good deal of advice as you go."

"Summoning a spirit." Kallian took a slow, deep breath. "You're sure I'm ready?"

"Honestly, Kalli, you were ready almost a week," Morgana replied. "But relax, we're not going to do so right this minute. Drink your tea, we'll talk and, when you're relaxed, we'll introduce you to your new friend. You have nothing to fear from your Shadow companion, child. Now, tell me something... What have you thought of doing with yourself? I don't see you spending your life in Rag's End and clearly you don't intend to spend your life as a bard like your father. You wouldn't be here, paying me what I ask, if that was the case. There are plenty of cheaper music and dance teachers if that was what you'd wanted. So, what _do _you want?"

Kallian sipped her tea as she thought. "Something to look after father," she murmured. "Something that takes me _out _of here... You're right, I don't want to spend my life in the End. But I don't know, maybe it's a fool's dream. I don't see there's any way I can get out of this place." She smiled ruefully at Morgana. "I'm supporting us now, thanks to what you've taught me. I mean, it's not going to get us out of here, but we're not going hungry any more. So that's good, right? Maybe I'm being too greedy. Maybe this is as good as it gets."

"Perhaps. Perhaps not," Morgana murmured. "Never hurts to dream, in any case. It encourages to keep striving for something more. So, on that note, if you could do anything you wanted, with no restrictions, what would it be?"

With another sip of tea, Kallian closed her eyes and thought about the question. "Well... I don't know. Something important, I guess. Something that helped people and something other people couldn't do. Like... when Mother was alive, she used to steal food and leave it for families who couldn't feed themselves. Particularly the families with children. No one but father and I knew she was the one who did it, but that didn't matter. She didn't need to be thanked or praised for what she did. It was enough to know she was helping people, to be protecting them." Kallian opened her eyes and laughed. "It's silly."

"What is?"

"Well, um, mother used to tell me stories when I was a little girl. You know, the ones about the Shin'Rakorath I told you about? The elven heroes who protected the world against evil?" Kallian smiled ruefully. "Well, when Mother came back from leaving that food... She used to look... accomplished. Proud, really... And taller. Like a hero, at least in my eyes. I used to imagine that she was a Shin'Rakorath. That the hunger of people was a force of evil and she was protecting us all from. I used to want to be like her. Like the Shin'Rakorath. They were my name for heroes, but she was my image of them."

Morgana was silent for a long moment, staring down into her tea. "It's not such a foolish dream," she murmured. "It's a lovely one, in fact."

"You look sad," Kallian murmured.

"Merely thinking that I'll miss my pupil," Morgana replied, with a strained smile. "Drink your tea, Kallian. We'll see about finding your companion when you're done."

Kallian shivered and took her time finishing off her mug. This was the part of her training that she couldn't quite get comfortable with. Morgana had said that the spirits liked to help, but surely no one could feel entirely happy about being disturbed from their rest? "Are you sure? I mean, you said they don't like to be summoned without good reason."

"A new Shadowdancer meeting her companion _is _a good reason, child." Morgana's tone sharpened with irritation. "The Shadows know that the first meeting must be guided. There'll be no penalty this time, except my taking the flat of a sword to your rear if you continue stalling. Swallow the last of that tea and hide yourself in the shadows. The first summoning is easier if you are already drawing on the shadow realm." Without another word, Morgana followed her own orders.

Not wanting to chance that Morgana meant her threat Kallian swallowed the dregs of her tea along with her doubts and stood up, cloaking herself in the shadows in the same movement.

"Very smooth," Morgana praised, the hint of sorrow creeping back into her tone. "You truly have come far since we began your training." She took a slow breath in and expelled it in a sigh. "Well... Let's find you your new best friend, shall we? Open your senses, Kallian, and follow my lead."

Focused on the shifting sense of power in the shadows covering her, Kallian knew exactly when 'Morgana made the call. It was an odd feeling, not quite hearing, not quite seeing or feeling, but some mix of all three. Kallian wasn't sure how, but the moment Morgana made the call, she knew how to mimic it and she did so. Something inside her felt an answering tug then two figures appeared in front of them.

Their features were blurry, washed out as though they too were cloaked in the shadows. But it was more then that. These two were part of the shadows, in a way Kallian and Morgana couldn't duplicate. The figures smiled, nodded in greeting to the two Shadowdancers, then one spoke. "So... you've finally taken an apprentice, Morgana? Some time ago, it seems, if you're letting her meet her own Companion." The figure tilted her, for Kallian was sure it was female, head and seemed to frown. "You should be proud of this accomplishment and yet, I sense... Come, we shall talk while your apprentice and her companion get acquainted."

Kallian watched as Morgana and the figure walked away, then turned nervously back to the remaining shadow. "Well... Uh... Hello."

The shadow smiled at her and gave a little bow. "Relax, Kallian. Or would you prefer Kalli? In either case, I am glad to meet you at last and it is a pleasure to be summoned. You have no reason to fear, for while I _shall _share in your strength if you summon me foolishly, this is not such a time."

"You... You know my name?" Kallian asked, grimacing at the stupidity of the question as soon as it left her mouth.

The shadow didn't laugh, but it did smile a little more in amusement. "As well as I know my own," he replied. "Which is Talathel, by the way. We are connected, you and I. I know you as well as you know yourself, if not better. And I will forever be here to guide and guard you, when the situation calls for it."

"I see..." Kallian started to relax. Despite Talathel's warning about taking her strength, she found it impossible to fear him. Feel a wary respect, certainly, but not fear. Not any more, in any case. He was right. There was a connection between them that couldn't be denied. It was too much like finding a part of herself that she hadn't known was missing. "Well, if we're going to be friends, you should call me Kalli. All my friends do."

"Then Kalli it is," Talathel laughed. "For I certainly hope we'll be friends." He looked at her, his gaze thoughtful. "I can feel your potential, you know. While seeing the future isn't within my abilities, though we should certainly discuss what _is_, I can tell you have the potential to be great. Not all Shadowdancers have it within them to walk all the way along the path you've begun, but you, I think, do. It shall be interesting to work with you, Kalli. It has been a long time since I saw one such as you."

"Uh... Thank you?"

Talathel laughed again. "You'll get more comfortable soon enough. Your mentor and her companion have gotten close over the years, but I believe she too was uncomfortable when they first met. Now, they will talk and she'll be soothed."

"She said this is my last lesson with her," Kallian murmured. "But I don't know why..."

"Perhaps it has to do with the one now approaching the door," Talathel murmured, turning to look at the door. "As much as I would like to speak more with you, I believe this visitor is important and you should not be distracted." He smiled. "Summon me in a moon cycle, Kalli, and tell me all about it. I believe we shall have much to discuss at that point and our conversation will be best held then." He gave a little bow, then added, "If you will dismiss me?"

Kallian did so, almost without knowing how she did so, as a knock sounded on the door. She jumped, turning towards it as Morgana stepped back out of the next room.

"I'll get that," she snapped at Kallian, her eyes hard now. "Put the kettle back on and start another pot of tea. Enough for three."

Kallian scrambled to obey as Morgana strode to yank open the door, then paused in shock as a white-haired elf stepped into the room. He wasn't wearing armour this time, but she still recognised him as the one who'd given her and Thomas the silver a fortnight earlier. "You!" she gasped. "You gave me the silver when I was dancing."

The elf nodded, giving Morgana a look that almost seemed smug in its satisfaction. "A fleeting glimpse and yet you remember," he remarked. "You've an eye for detail, it seems. Very good, Kallian."

"How do you know my name?" Kallian asked, frowning. A chill ran down her spine as she thought about Thomas' insistence that this elf had taken an unusual interest in her. Apparently, he was right.

"Kallian, the tea," Morgana snapped, then stepped over to put the kettle on herself. "Calistria knows, I'll need it and something stronger if you keep playing that mysterious stranger bullshit," she added in a sour aside to the elf.

The look the elf threw at her was no warmer then Morgana's tone, but it softened slightly as he turned to study Kallian and gestured for her to take one of the two seats at the table while he took the other. Apparently he didn't care if Morgana was left without a seat. There was a long silence while the two elves studied each other, then the man spoke. "My name is Kaerishiel Neirenar, and yes, I know your name, Kallian. In fact, I know a great deal about you, including the fact you may be exactly what I'm looking for." He glanced at Morgana and his lip curled slightly as he continued. "You see, Kallian, I command a small branch of a group of elven warriors called the Shin'Rakoraith." He paused at Kallian's gasp. "You've heard of us?"

"My mother used to tell me stories about the Shin'Rakorath," Kallian replied, her eyes wide. "And how they stood against a great force of evil and darkness. But... I thought it was just a story. A fairytale..."

Kaerishiel smiled slightly, the expression seeming to soften his entire face. "The Shin'Rakoraith are certainly no child's tale, Kallian, though it's rare anyone outside of the elven lands has ever heard of us. However, I digress from the answer to your question and the reason for my being here tonight. Some time ago, your... mentor, Morgana, got into some trouble in the forests around my home. In repayment for our aid, she agreed to contact the Shin'Rakoraith if she ever encountered someone who might be a worthy addition to our ranks." He looked Kallian over and finished, "That was more then some thirty years ago now and I'd thought she'd never contact me. Then, six months ago, she wrote to tell me about you and your potential to be a Shadowdancer. That's a rare and valuable talent among the Shin'Rakoraith so, when I found myself passing through this city, I felt compelled to make a slight detour and get a look at you for myself."

Kallian frowned thoughtfully. "So, that's why you were watching me that day on the docks... Have you been watching me at other times? Less openly, shall we say?"

"Noticed did you?" Kaerishiel's tone was approving. "Perceptive of you. Another skill that would be useful for a Shin'Rakoraith. Kallian, I have little time remaining before I must return to my home, but from what I've seen of you and heard from Morgana, you have more then enough talent and potential to join our ranks and, perhaps one day, rise to the top." He considered her again with that measuring stare. "Despite your youth."

"I turned one hundred last week," Kallian replied heatedly, then flushed at Kaerishiel's raised eyebrow. Nothing made you sound more childish then stressing how old you were. "I'm young sir, but I'm not a child. If you've been told so much about me, you've likely learned I haven't had a lot of time for childishness in the last few decades. No one in Rag's End does."

"So I've noticed," Kaerishiel muttered in distaste. "Then let me make this official. Kallian Tobias, I am offering you a position as a novice in the Shin'Rakoraith under my command. I believe you could be a valuable addition to my team and would be pleased if you would accept the offer."

Kallian sighed and sipped the tea Morgana put in front of her on her way out of the room. "Sir... I'd like to. I really would like nothing more... But... My father. I couldn't possibly go away and leave him here. He's tried to support us, but his joints ache and he can't really play any more. If I'm not here to pay the rent..."

"Shin'Rakoraith, even novices, earn far more per month then any street dancer," Kaerishiel said simply. "And of course, I would not expect you to fore sake your flesh and blood. Arrangements can be made for your father, I assure you. While I would not recommend he join us in my home of Crying Leaf, for many reasons, I have contacts in Kyonin and could see to it that room was found for him in the bardic guild. Or perhaps a small home could be acquired, though I would insist that a large portion of your monthly earnings was docked until the sum was repaid. I would not expect that to take more then seven years or so and you would still have money to spend, particularly as your food, lodgings and basic supplies would be provided for you."

Kallian's frown deepened. "Frankly sir, that offer sounds too good to be true. What's the catch?"

"You'll work hard for what you're given, Kallian, and the work of a Shin'Rakoraith is often hard, uncomfortable and highly dangerous," Kaerishiel said bluntly. "I believe you are worth this investment, so I am prepared to make the offer. In return, if you accept, I would expect you to remain with the Shin'Rakoraith until the debt was repaid."

Kallian traced patterns on the scuffed tabletop as she thought about Kaerishiel's offer. On one side, if she accepted it was clear that she'd basically be an indented servant of sorts until the debt was repaid, for she got the feeling that even if she turned out to be a terrible Shin'Rakoraith, Kaerishiel was the type to demand debts be paid. And if her mother's stories were true, and what Kaerishiel said seemed to confirm that at least the basics were accurate, being a Shin'Rakoraith would be dangerous work. And yet, on the other hand, hadn't she said to Morgana that this was what she'd dreamed of? To not only get herself and her father out of Rag's End, but to be something. To do something good and important, even if no one ever knew who to thank. To have a home, a proper home, for herself and her father, one that she'd earned and which wouldn't be taken from them if they were half a day late with the rent... And who knew? Maybe she could even make a friend or two who would actually stick with her through difficult times. It would be difficult to be separated from her father, but that was a small hardship in the face of all they'd gain... "I could visit my father, couldn't I?" she asked Kaerishiel.

"Of course, when you have leave time due to you," Kaerishiel replied. "And he could come to you, if he has the strength for the trip. Have you decided then?"

Kallian drew in a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Yes sir. I'll have to talk to my father, of course, but... I would like to accept your offer. I want to join the Shin'Rakorath."

Kaerishiel nodded and swallowed the last of his tea. "Good. Then let me tell you more about what you are getting into." He learned back, his gaze turning distant as his thoughts turned inwards. "The Shin'Rakoraith were formed centuries ago to guard against and contain a dark threat to the world. Which is why our name translates to "The Lantern Bearers" in the common tongue. You'll learn more about the exact nature of that threat when we reach Crying Leaf, for it is best not to speak of it among uninformed ears. For now it's enough for you to know that the threat is very real and very deadly. I won't lie to you, Kallian, many Shin'Rakoraith die an early death at the enemy's hands and I cannot promise that you won't be one of them. But I can assure you that should we falter in our duty, the result would be the deaths of many more and the suffering of everything that is good and worthy. We fight a dangerous foe, but one only we can."

Kallian shivered with the intensity of emotion behind Kaerishiel's words, but nodded firmly. "I understand sir. I won't say it isn't unsettling to think of dying, but..." She took a deep breath. "My mother died doing what she felt was important. If the threat is as great as you say, I would be turning my back on everything my mother ever taught me if I didn't do my part to stop it."

"Then you are as brave as your mother and I have no doubt that she is proud of her daughter," Kaerishiel replied, his tone strangely soft. "You'll do well in our ranks, Kallian."

"She will," Morgana agreed with a sigh as she stepped back into the room. "I have no doubt of it." She looked at Kallian and murmured, "I'd have liked to see you on a different path, child, but it seems you're destined to walk this one." She turned hard eyes on Kaerishiel and hissed, "Just you look out for my student, Kaerishiel."

Kaerishiel gave her an unimpressed stare, then rose from the table. "I've done what I came here to do, so I will not intrude on Morgana's hospitality any longer. Finish your tea, Kallian, and we'll speak to your father."

Kallian nodded and quickly gulped down down her tea, ignoring the sharp burn of the hot liquid as her mind buzzed with excitement. The Shin'Rakoraith were ___real__. _She was going to be one of them. It was almost too much to come to terms with. She couldn't take it all in. Feeling like she was dreaming, she rose from the table and followed Kaerishiel out into the dark street. There, instincts trained by sixty years on the streets of Rag's End kicked in and burned the dreamlike fog out of her mind.

Only a fool didn't keep alert in the End, particularly at night. She was too close to having a way out of here at last to end up dead in a pool of her own blood like her mother had. With a companion, she couldn't just vanish into the shadows as had become her habit - though Kaerishiel had probably learned where she lived from his spying. So she straightened her shoulders, let her head lift up proudly and walked with a quick but casual step that suggested a complete lack of fear. Her hand drifted to her dagger, but she left it concealed. No sense risking one of the brief, rare patrols of the higher city guards, who might take offence at an Ender with a weapon. There was no LAW against such a thing, of course, but that didn't mean she wouldn't find herself locked up for disturbing the peace or some such. Everyone knew Enders were always up to no good.

It crossed her mind that this was the last night she'd have to worry about such things. No more sneaking out to hunt, fearing being spotted with a bow. No more crude, make-shift weapons or risking her life to steal a half decent knife to call a dagger. She'd have money, and not have to justify where it came from if a guard at the market decided it was too much for an Ender to have. Her father was going to have an actual home, not that shack that threatened to fall down around their ears. Kallian almost chuckled as it crossed her mind that she didn't have to worry about the rent due next week. There'd be no one home for their landlord's spinecrackers to beat up by way of warning. Somehow she didn't feel remotely inclined to give advanced notice of their departure. The thought put a bit more of a spring into her step.

Kaerishiel was silent as they walked, though Kallian thought she saw a hint of approval in his gaze at her alertness. "I don't suppose you have much in the way of arms and armour, do you?"

"Only this, sir." Kallian looked around carefully before drawing her knife."And an old bow at home."

Kaerishiel's face twisted slightly into an expression Kallian couldn't read. "I'd have thought..." He trailed off and shook his head. "No matter, we'll just have to see you're properly equipped. Armour will have to wait until we reach Crying Leaf, but we'll see if we can't get you a decent dagger at least before we leave. Perhaps a bow too, if yours isn't suitable. How well do you shoot?"

"Reasonably, sir," Kallian replied. "I can keep us fed well enough in the warmer months, anyway."

"Good." Kaerishiel lapsed back into silence.

Kallian had never been embarrassed by her home before, but as they approached she considered how it must look to a stranger not raised in the End and felt a little sick. Dirty, half rotten wood and cracked and broken windows. It probably looked like an animal's hovel to Kaerishiel and she didn't dare look at him as she opened the door. At least she'd managed to fix that so it didn't fall in like it had a couple of weeks ago. Though the rat that skittered out from a corner wasn't an improvement. "Father? I'm home! And I have important news!"

Cyrion wandered out of the tiny kitchen with a hot mug of tea and a warm smile that twisted as Kaerishiel stepped inside. "Kallian, go to your room."

Kallian had never heard her father speak in that tone, some how both cold and commanding at the same time. "Father? This is Kaerishiel. He's here to-"

"Kallian Ashka Tobias, go to your room. Now." Cyrion's eyes never left Kaerishiel's as he set the tea down on a barrel that served as a side table. "We'll talk later. Go."

Baffled, and just a little unnerved, Kallian looked helplessly between her father and Kaerishiel. "But..."

"Do as your father says, Kallian," Kaerishiel said calmly.

At a loss for what else she ___could_do, Kallian obeyed, retreating into her room and closing her door. At once she pressed her ear against the thin wood.

"Outside," her father was saying flatly. "I'm not having this conversation in here."

Kallian heard the outside door slam and flopped back onto the nest of blankets that served as a sleeping mat, wondering what in the world was going on.

Cyrion closed the front door behind him and leaned against it, still looking coldly at Kaerishiel. "No. Absolutely not."

Kaerishiel lifted an eyebrow. "It's what Kallian wants."

"Kallian is a ___child__,_" Cyrion snapped. "She doesn't know what she wants. She barely knows anything about the Shin'Rakoraith! Certainly not what she'd be facing."

"And who's fault is that?" Kaerishiel snapped. "I am quite certain Adaia told you of our agreement, so you knew this day was coming. You had a century to prepare her for this, or inflict your feelings on her." He scowled. "I let you take one of our best away from her duty, her home and her parents. I didn't step in after I came looking for Adaia when her letters stopped and discovered she'd been murdered. I went home and told her parents, Kallian's grandparents, that they'd never see their youngest girl again or lay eyes on their granddaughter. I kept my end of the bargain and allowed you, against my better judgement, to deny Kallian her heritage. However, I will be damned if I let you keep the girl away now, when she's willing and eager, in favour of keeping her in this... cess pit! By Calistria, Cyrion, is this _really _what you want for your daughter? For ___Adaia's_child?"

"Don't you dare use my wife against me." Despite his words, Cyrion's tone had turned tired. "Don't. You. Dare. No, Kaerishiel, this isn't what I want for Kalli. It wasn't what I gave her or Adaia at first. If you were keeping such a close eye on us, you'd know that. Damn it, I didn't plan for any of this!"

Kaerishiel sighed a little. "You didn't, no. I don't like you, Tobias, but I'll acknowledge this isn't how you expected things to turn out. But look around you, man! You're living in a slum. You and Kallian can both do far better."

"Fighting drow," Cyrion's tone was cynical. "Exactly what I took my family away from, Kaerishiel. I don't want Kallian dying an early death in your little war, ___sir__._"

"You didn't want that for Adaia either," Kaerishiel shot back. "So instead of being with her comrades and friends, she bleed out alone in a back alley. Be honest Tobias, with yourself at least. Adaia would have been on light duties, paperwork and message running most likely. There's a better then good chance that she'd be alive right now if you hadn't convinced her to leave the Shin'Rakoraith." He shook his head. "I'm not here to cast blame. I came to speak to Kallian. She wants to join, Cyrion. Neither of us can give her her mother back, but at least let her have the Shin'Rakoraith. Let her have her mother's family, her history."

Cyrion closed his eyes. "I'd die to protect that girl... She's all I have left. And there's so much of her mother in her."

"She has her mother's eyes," Kaerishiel murmured. "I noticed that right away."

"Her mother's temperament too," Cyrion chuckled. "And her smile. There's a lot of Adaia there, really."

"You love her," Kaerishiel said simply. "I believe it when you say you'd die to protect her. But after that? What happens when she's alone, hmm? Left in these streets? This rotting shack you don't even own? What legacy is that to leave your daughter?"

Cyrion scowled, looked back over his shoulder at the house... then slumped. "She loves to dance and sing," he murmured. "She still sleeps with the doll Adaia made her when she was a baby. She could be a wonderful bard, with a little training. I'd hoped..." He trailed off, looked up at the night sky. "Even when I saw how quickly she picked up the bow and the dagger Adaia taught her, I still thought... There's time to turn her interests to the arts. I had her educated as well as I could afford to. She knows three languages, Kaerishiel. And she's always so thirsty for knowledge. I told myself, we'd get back on our feet, she'd pick up her education and when you showed up she'd be happily engaged, settled and be of no interest to you. But... she's so very like her mother..." He shook his head. "I want to tell you to stay the hell away from my daughter, to slam the door in your face and pretend you were never here... But Kallian knows now. She'd never let it go." He slumped. "How much did you tell her?"

"Nothing about Adaia," Kaerishiel replied. "When I realised she knew almost nothing, that you hadn't told her... I promised Adaia that I wouldn't use her to tempt her child into joining, so I said nothing. I did make sure Kallian was well aware that being a Shin'Rakoraith is dangerous. She won't be going in blind, I assure you. Nor will she be alone. I will look after her. And, for Adaia's sake, I'll make arrangements for you as well."

Cyrion sighed again. "I don't want your charity... but if Kalli's going into this, it's best she does this with a clear mind rather then worrying about me. Fine, I'll agree, on one condition."

"Which is?"

"You don't tell her about Adaia. She doesn't find out that from anyone but me, when the time is right."

Kaerishiel frowned at Cyrion. "Will you ever tell her? Or is the goal to keep her from ever knowing her history?"

Cyrion drew in a deep breath. "Give me time, please. Let's see if she even stays in the Shin'Rakoraith first. Give her time to find her place without feeling she has to live up to her mother's standard, please. After that... If something happens and I don't find a way to tell her, then you may do so if you still feel she should know. All I'm asking is that you keep to your agreement with Adaia for a little longer. Let Kalli finish growing up without that pressure, all right?"

Kaerishiel gave Cyrion a long, cold stare. "125, Cyrion. If Kallian is still in the Shin'Rakoraith and you haven't told her by her 125th birthday, then I will."

"Agreed," Cyrion said, and sighed. "She's going to have questions..."

"Well that display of yours was hardly subtle. I'll give her something else to focus on."

"If I go to Crying Leaf, people will recognise me. They'll put two and two together if Kallian's seen with me."

"I don't want you in Crying Leaf in any case, given your feelings on the Shin'Rakoraith." Kaerishiel gave Cyrion a hard look. "If Kallian's to see how she fits into the Shin'Rakoraith, you'll need to let her do so without interference. I have a small home in Kyrion that I'll sell to you, at a reasonable price. Kallian will have worked it off easily in less then a decade in the Shin'Rakoraith. Or elsewhere, if I'm wrong about her and she truly doesn't fit with what we need. We can arrange you transport easily enough and Kallian will leave for Crying Leaf with me."

"Then I think this is a discussion we should continue with Kalli present," Cyrion sighed. "Come in." He paused before adding softly, "She's still a child. For Adaia's sake... Look after her."

"I look after all my people, Tobias. But for her mother's memory, I'll keep an eye on her."

Cyrion didn't thank him, not that Kaerishiel had expected the other elf to do so, but it was clear that a truce had been reached. Cyrion opened the door, stepped inside and held it open. "Kallian. Come here little love."

In her room, Kallian grimaced at the pet name but scrambled to her feet and out of her room. Relief flooded her to see Kaerishiel still there. At least her father hadn't just thrown the older elf out. "Yes, Father?"

Cyrion gestured silently for everyone to go into the kitchen and be seated. There, he stared across the table at his daughter as if he'd never quite seen her before... or as though he was seeing someone entirely different. "You really want this, Kalli? It won't be a game, or a story. This is real. If you get hurt, or worse, you can't just rewrite things to change the ending."

"I know, Father," Kallian replied softly. "I'm not a child any more. I understand this could be, is _likely_ to be, dangerous. But it's also important. And... I don't want to spend my life dancing on street corners for copper."

"That's not what I want for you either," Cyrion sighed. "Or what your mother would have wanted either. I might wish you'd followed in MY footsteps, but the Shin'Rakoraith serve a purpose. A noble one."

"So... You approve?" Kallian looked between Cyrion and Kaerishiel. "I can join?"

Cyrion's smile was sad, but he nodded his head. "Only a fool tries to stop the tide, Kalli. I've been many things in life, but I like to think 'fool' isn't among them." He reached across the table to rest his hand on hers and murmured, "It is a hard thing to see one's child finding her way, and harder still not to stand in her way. But that is the way of life."

Kallian met her father's eyes and felt tears prick at hers. "It's not that I want to leave... It's just..."

"No need to explain, Kalli. This is where your path has led you now." Cyrion forced a smile. "So no tears tonight. You'll pack tonight and leave with Captain Kaerishiel..." He paused to look questioningly at Kaerishiel.

"Tomorrow," Kaerishiel replied simply. "Before noon, if at all possible."

"Tomorrow then." Cyrion sighed the words then smiled wistfully. "Probably for the best. You've a long journey ahead of you, no doubt."

"You're coming too, aren't you?" Kallian asked. "You sound like I'd be going alone, but the rent's only paid for another week. You can't stay here alone!"

"He won't be," Kaerishiel assured her. "As I told you, arrangements will be made for your father."

"Indeed," Cyrion agreed. "I'll be leaving a few days after you, Kalli, but I have business here to wrap up first. And in any case, I'm too old for long journeys over land."

"I'll arrange passage to Kyrion for your father before we leave," Kaerishiel added. "And send word ahead so he'll be expected. He'll likely be well settled into his new home long before you and I reach ours."

Kallian didn't particularly like that plan, particularly the part where tonight was the last time she'd spend in the company of her father, but she couldn't come up with a good argument against it either. "I guess..."

"It's how it needs to be, sweetheart," Cyrion told her. "Don't worry. I have no doubt you'll be far too busy to miss your old father before long."

"Indeed," Kaerishiel murmured, rising. "Kallian, I'll leave you and your father to your farewells. I'll be around to collect you three hours after dawn, so be ready to go then." He gave Cyrion a brief nod before letting himself out of the house.

Cyrion leaned back in his chair and gave his daughter a small smile. "My little girl, all grown up and ready to face the world, hmm? Well, I suppose that means it's time."

Kallian blinked. "Time? Time for what?"

"I... have some things of your mother's I'd put away," Cyrion murmured. "Never could decide what to do with them, but... Given the circumstances, I think she'd have given them to you if she were here. Come. They're in my room." he rose and took an old, rusted key off a hook on the wall before walking into his bedroom.

Kallian followed, frowning as she watched her father kneel by a battered old chest. For decades, she'd wondered what was in there, only to be told it wasn't important. The smell of leather, old and loved, met her nose as soon as the lid was raised and she drew in a sharp breath as Cyrion lifted out a folded pile of brown, almost black leather. "Is that..."

Cyrion smiled softly and unfolded the leather armour before turning back to the chest and taking out a matching pair of boots. "Adaia used to say we should sell this and claim she could never fit back into it after she had you, but she never got around to it. To be honest, I think she really wanted to keep it for you, when you grew up." He held it out to Kallian and urged, "Go on, try it on. Let's see how it fits you."

It took a little help from her father, but Kallian managed to squirm into the stiff leather and figure out the various buckles and ties. Once it was on, she breathed in deeply, wondering if some trace of her mother lingered under the smell of oiled leather.

"You look... so very like her," Cyrion murmured, smiling. "I wish Adaia was here. She'd be so proud."

"Why did mother _have_ this?" Kallian asked, running a hand over the armour. "I mean... It's not exactly typical bard's wife wear..."

Cyrion turned back to rummage in the chest again. "Oh, you know, dangers of the road. We did travel a great deal when you were young. Now where... Ah!" Smiling he straightened up, holding a dagger, tucked away in a neatly made sheath. "The missing piece. How does the armour fit? Not too loose or too tight anywhere? Are you comfortable?"

Kallian nodded slowly as she strapped on the dagger then drew it. "It's... beautiful," she murmured, taking in the blue-green shimmer of the mirror like metal. "I've never seen anything like it."

"You won't," Cyrion replied. "Not around here, in any case. The metal is adamantine, or sky metal. It's rare, but makes for strong, powerful weapons. That dagger will never lose it's edge and it will take a great deal of force to break." He smiled almost warmly. "Adaia named it 'Fang'. I think she'd be glad to think of it protecting you." He stepped forward and gently kissed his daughter's check. "You're going to be something special, Kalli love. I've always known that, but soon the world will to. Now, best you go pack. You've an early morning ahead of you."

"I'll leave my silks," Kallian murmured. "They're worth... a bit. You can sell them, have some money for your journey."

Cyrion shook his head. "No, take them with you. You've chosen a hard road, my girl, and you'll need some fun along the way. Never forget to take the time to dance, Kalli. It's a part of who you are." With that he gently guided Kallian out of the room and closed the door firmly.

Though she heard nothing as she walked into her own room, Kallian felt uncomfortably certain her father was crying.


End file.
